Richmond city council has dipped into its $3 million “community initiatives fund” to the tune of close to $900,000 for the Canada 150 Ships to Shore event in 2017.
The special maritime celebration is to coincide with cross-country celebrations of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
The event, according to a parks department report, is said to be an opportunity to promote arts, culture, and heritage.
It’s anticipated that the money will cover the general costs of the Ships to Shore event ($320,000) on Canada Day, plus the cost of mooring the Japanese tall ship, Kaiwo Maru ($575,000) in May 2017.
The city’s financial planners created the fund from discretionary, unspent casino revenue to give council leeway in funding particular events or projects.
Each year two per cent of casino revenues (about $400,000 at the current pace of roughly $20 million) will go to the account and council agreed, as a policy, not to spend more than half the fund each year.
On Monday council created a Canada 150 celebration steering committee consisting of councillors Harold Steves, Linda McPhail, and Bill McNulty.
In order to moor the ship council must determine what sort of dock or pier will be placed at Garry Point.
